South Australia to use explosives to scare seals away from fishing areas

A huge rise in the population of long-nosed fur seals has led to calls for a cull, but also non-lethal deterrents to keep the marine mammals away

The South Australian government will use explosives to scare fur seals away from fishing areas, after rejecting a call to start killing the animals.

The number of long-nosed, or New Zealand, fur seals around Coorong has soared in recent years to about 100,000. The seals, which are found along southern Australia and New Zealand, have irked fishing crews by eating their catches and ripping holes in their nets.